Gun follies

We have the right to bear arms, it’s just that sometimes awkward things happen to some of those who do.

Take for instance State Rep. Borris Miles of Texas, a freshman lawmaker who opposed a state law giving people a stronger right to defend themselves with deadly force. The so-called “castle doctrine,” passed in Texas earlier this year, said a person doesn’t have to retreat from an intruder before using deadly force.

Miles and other opponents thought the bill went too far in letting people use deadly force against threats in their homes, vehicles and workplaces.

So it is a bit of a surprise that on Sunday that Sen. Miles pulled out his gun and fired on two men he caught stealing copper pipe out of a house he is building in Houston. One man, who threw a pocketknife at the senator, was wounded in the leg, is now facing aggravated robbery charges.

Despite his reported opposition to the stronger “castle doctrine,” Miles, a former law enforcement officer, is licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

I guess the moral of the story is don’t confront a Texan armed with a shootin’ irony.